A Familiar Stranger
by SteffBranco
Summary: After Edward goes away and to South America, Brazil actually.Its about how someone can change another persons life, how a girl makes Edward realize that he was an idiot for leaving Bella and he realizes that he needs to come back. Until Rosalie's call.
1. Bad Things Can Happen

I do not own twilight but I do own the original character.

This story is after Edward goes away and to South America, Brazil actualy.

Its about how someone can change another persons life, how a girl makes Edward realize that he is an idiot for leaving Bella and he realizes that he need to come back, until he recieves a very sad call from Rosalie.

* * *

Finally...I can't believe that school is finally over.

My name is Julia and I'm 17 years old. Today is december the 3rd and I just can't believe that school is finally over. I liked school, it helped me forget. Forget about the end.

I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, wonderful beaches, awesome places, but, it is one of the most dangerous cities too.

I live in a city called Rio de Janeiro, you probably heard about this city before, if not, its a city in Brazil, and I live in one of the hundreds of slums that the city has. The slum I live is called Cantagalo and its located on the Copacabana neighborhood. Its pretty and all but also dangerous.

We are very united in the slum, but not free from bad people and bad situations.

I was going home to my mom and my kid, yeah, I have kid, she is 3 years old now, her name is Nicole and she is a special kid. She has down's syndrome, and I love her so much, she is my world and my life, and I'm so grateful for my mother, she helps me so much since that horrible day, the day I was raped and got pregnant with my baby but I don't feel angry anymore 'cause I know my mom and my kid love me and I love them very much.

I was coming back from work, a club where I work as a bartender when I saw all the cops in the entrace on the slum, they tried to stop me but my family was in there. There was a fight between the police and the drugdealers that rule the slum and there was the sound of guns going off everywhere.

I ran and ran, I fell my sholder hurting really bad, I got shot, but my family was more important then the pain.

That scene was unbelievable, that was the most painful thing I've ever seen, my mom, she was...dead...my kid...my sun...my life...dead.

Then everything went blank. I didn't feel the pain anymore, I wasn't cold or hot or hungry or even alive. I could still hear the noises outside but suddenly something, no better, someone came in to the was absolutely handsome but his face was distorted like he was in pain.

He took me out of there, and I didn't even fight him, I was in shock.

But then I found my voice"Why". He look at me, his eyes were wisky colored, a fine 1926 Macallan.

"I saved your life, now I'm gonna take you to the hospital". His musical voice said.

"Take me back". I said determinated as he eyed me like I was crazy.

" No, you are bleeding, and you have lost a lot of blood. Why do you want to go back?Tthere is nothing you could do to save them." He was right, I knew that but I have just lost my house and my family, what could I do now?

"The first thing we gotta do is take you to the hospital and then I will help you re-do your house, but maybe in a better place." He said that like responding to my thoughts.

I'm a teenager with no family, no house, no hope.

* * *

**Dramatic I know.....**

**but its going to be really great and sorry for the short chapter but its just the very begining of the story I promise that the other is going to be bigger.**

**Please review.**

**=9**


	2. Good Things Can Happen

What the hell was he saying, I don't wanna re-do my house I just want to be with my family, I have nothing now, nothing but memories.

"I'm sorry, I know that it must be difficult for you."He was trying to be sensitive and conforting but I was so mad,What could this stranger possibly know about the pain I was feeling.

"You know nothing." I said under my labored breath, now that I was more aware of the pain.

"No, I now a lot about pain." He said. But how did he hear me, I said that so low.

"Where is the nearest hospital."I gave him the directions and then we were running so fast that I could do nothing but faint.

I woke up in a very nice car that I could not recognize from the inside. We got in the hospital but as soon as he passed the door with me in his arms, I was unconscious.

XXXXxxxxXXXX

Fuck. That was my first thought I had when I woke up. I was in so much pain, they didn't gave enough anesthesia and I woke up in the middle of the surgery to remove the bullet. But it was quick, one injection and I was out. But it was so freakin' scary.

I woke up again, this was getting on my nerves, conscious, unconscious, conscious, unconscious, a sweet nurse was looking at me.

"Good morning sweety, you've been unconscious for 12 hours now."She said."The doctors extracted the bullet but you're not gonna be able to move your arm for a couple weeks."Great. Just freakin' perfect, I'm gonna loose my job too. But wait, how did I got here.

Oh yeah, that guy."Do you know where is that guy that brought me in ?" I asked not seing him around.

"He said that he was coming back at night, is he your boyfriend, he is so charming."What the heck ? She was not that sweet now, what does she have to do with my life. But she left the room before I could give her the answer she deserved.

I then realized that I was not uncomfortable, which is odd, those hospital beds were horrible, and that I had a room just to my self, something wasn't right, I don't have insurance, I'm poor for crist's sake, how the hell was I in the "v.i.p." section of the I'm going to enjoy while I can, because eventualy they gonna realize that I don't have insurance.

During the day I cried my eyes out as I remembered the previous day. How am I gonna survive now, no family, no house, no job. I just wanted to stay in the hospital forever, at least it was comfortable and I had meals.

It was just so depressive, my baby, she was my precious. I remember once when I got home after work on my birthday and she and my mom did a big poster that I could see that was made by Nicole, it was full of little hands in paint. On the poster it was written 'Happy birthday mommy we love you' and I couldn't help but cry. They even made a cake for me with a power puff girls candle on the top that they made me blow and make a wish.

I cried until I slept, horrible nightmares, all of them with my baby dying and my mom too. I woke up. I thought it was late because it was dark outside the window,at least I was still in the good room, but the clock beside the bad said 6:32 so it wasn't so late. It was when I saw him. The stranger, he was sitting on a chair across the room. His eyes on me, like he was trying to make sure I was real, like he was trying to recognize me from somewhere, probably from the club, it was a really popular club between guys, It was a club like the club from coyote ugly, actually, exactly like the one in the movie, but I don't dance there, I just serve the drinks, and I only work there because the owner was one of my mothers best friends but after this, I doubt that she still gonna let me work there. Weeks without moving my arms, Laura is gonna fire me, she is so strict. I know that I should be a mess but the staring was getting uncomfortable.

He stopped the staring like he had heard my thought, he did that on yesterday too, answering to my thought."How are you feeling?"He said distracting me from my thoughts.

"Like crap, but you saved me, thank you."He smiled a smile that was warm but it didn't reach his eyes, like he was sad."Who are you by the way?"

"My name is Edward Cullen, I'm American."Hm...this was hard to believe, he didn't have that funny American accent but he did have a subtle accent, and what was he doing in the slum, and why did he save me or, how did he save me without being shot. Not that I wasn't grateful but it was weird. Actually unlikely to happen.

"What where you doing in the Cantagalo slum and why did you save me?" I asked really curious, and then I remembered about him running really fast with me in his arms but I could possibly be a delusion, after all the blood I lost.

"I heard the confusion and saw you coming in and I decided to help." He answer like he was suddenly shy.

"But why?" I wanted some answers.

"Because.....You sort of look like someone I really care about, one of my sisters." Well that didn't have a lot of answers. Look like me? I'm short and petite, with dark and spiky hair and pale, what was weird, because I lived in a very sunny city. Nicole used to say that I was a fary. Nicole, I flinched with the thought "Her name is Alice." He said like he was trying to distract me and call my attention.

"Here is your dinner sweety." The nurse from before said interrupting my thoughts.

Well, now was the time to ask, I don't feel comfortable lying to the hospital like this."Excuse me, nurse..."

"Mary, call me Mary."She said that and looked quick at Edward. She was too flirtatious for a married, middle aged woman. Edward turned around concealing his face from view. But I think I saw a smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"You know who I am right?" She looked at me like I was mentally challenged.

"Of course I know who you are Julia Malago."

"So, how am I in this nice big, room?" I was really trying to avoid saying How can I be in this big room. I'm poor!

:What do you mean sweety? All your medical expenses are paid." She gave me a confused stare,then walked out of the room,without another word.

Edward, seeing my confusion, decided to explain."I might have something to do with that."He said, kind of ashamed.

"What do you mean you have something to do with that? Did you paid for all the expenses? Are you crazy? I can't pay you back." I was panicking.

"Who said I want you to pay me back." He answered kind of angry.

"Nobody does this unless they want something back in return." I don't know what he thinks I am but I am not sleeping with him, he was handsome but I'm not a whore.

He got angry out of the sudden, no, he was angry because of my thoughts, I'm not stupid.

"I don't wan to sleep with you, can you just be grateful?" I felt really bad now. I was greatful. I just don't trust people.

"I'm really sorry, I am grateful." I was forced to turn my head and look down to hide the tears that were suddenly gathering in my eyes, I was ashamed.

He got up and sat on the edge of the bed."I'm sorry, I didn't wanted to make you cry, but you have to trust me."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because I'm going to trust you with my secret." Oh yeah....the mind reading thing. Well I wasn't gonna tell anybody, even I wanted, who would believe me, -Yeah, I met this guy the other day and he can read thought- yeah of course, that was a free ticket to the asylum.

"OK, but you have to explain this mind reading thing better."

"Yes, I will, but now I need to leave, the visiting hours are over."As he said that, Mary came in to the room and told us that he had to leave.

"I'll come back tomorrow as soon as it gets dark." He said that just for me to hear.

When it gets dark? What did he mean by that?"I'll explain that too." He said as he heard my thought, and then left the room.

Cause that was not creepy at all.


	3. Control Freak

On the next morning, after a night of nightmares and crying, I was feeling a little better. But that didn't mean a really good thing, it means that they are going to release me soon, and I have no where to go. My house was destroyed in the confrontation between the cops and the drug dealers .

After lunch, one of the doctors, Dr. Patrick, told me that tomorrow I would be released, just like I had predicted.

Around 6 o'clock he came back, my good stranger. Edward, the mind reader that saved me. Wow this sounds even weird in my head, imagine if said this out loud. I would never tell anyone about this.

"So, how are you today?" He asked sympathetic.

"Better." I said sadly, they are going to release me tomorrow morning and I have nowhere to go.

"Oh." He said has he listened to my worried thoughts. "If you don't mind, I wanted to help you."

"No, no, no, you already helped enough. Besides, I feel bad that you are doing all those things for me and I have nothing to offer you in change." I said quickly. "Oh, maybe if I still have my job by Monday, I can offer you a drink in the club slash bar that I work at."

At that, he twisted his nose in disgust. OK, it wasn't the best bar in the town but it wasn't that bad, all the guys love to go there.

"Its not that, its just...... I don't drink.......alcohol." He said like he was choosing his word carefully."You are a little too perceptive, you know?" He said at my observation.

I chuckle. My mom used to tell me that. My mom...

A single tear rolled down my cheek as the thought hit me. What am I going to do now? My life was chaos. I'm going to have to beg Laura to keep my job at least for a couple of days, I could still serve drinks with one hand, I was the best bartender in that place, but just because I've been working there for 2 years now, I even presented myself juggling with the bottles. I present this once a week, usually on Wednesday. The 'Happy hour day' were all the guys get out from work and go have some drinks in the bar. But things get pretty wild on weekends, specially Saturdays, that when the girls dance on the top of the counter. The guys get crazy. But they are all good girls, once you get know them, they are like family, maybe one of them would help me find somewhere to stay until I decide what to do.

I remembered the first time I started to work there 2 years ago.

I never served a drink in my life that wasn't beer to my dad, before he passed away, 5 years ago of cancer, because we didn't have the money to pay for the treatment. My mom was really sad, he loved him a lot, but she always told me that life keeps going, its not going to stop and wait for you to fix your broken heart, but I could see that she was suffering, she had lost the love of her life.

Anyway, I wasn't what you would call as a good bartender, or regular bartender, I sucked, actually. When Amanda, one of the girls, she was 23 now, first tried to teach me how to juggle with the bottles, I broke 3 vodka and 2 tequila bottles. After that, Laura only let me train with the bottle that were already empty, I would just fill them with water and train.

So as I didn't dance, because Laura thought that I was too young. The bar was pretty wild but Laura never let any of the guys touch any of the girls, and we have Michael and Wilson to assure that. Two freakin' big dudes that Laura hired as security, so when some guy tries something unappropriated, they toss the guy out. So I had more time to train with the bottles then the other girls, so now I'm the best.

But apparently, not dancing didn't save me from all the weird, and sometimes married guys to flirt with me. I was actually an easy target, I was always behind the counter pouring the drinks and I wasn't so scary as the other girls, they were so gorgeous that some guys were even scared of them, and that is what bring them to me. It was exhausting and we always have to use very tiny clothes, which I usually pick and dress all the girls, and I do a pretty good job, the girls like and they look fantastic.

But it was a temporary job, I didn't want to work there for the rest of my life, I wanted to study fashion, that was my true passion.

"Wow." Edward said bringing me back to the present. "You look more like my sister then what I thought." He said amused.

"Well, she must be awesome then." But I really need to find some place to stay, at least for a couple of days."

"I said I can help you." Edward repeated but when I opened my mouth to say something back he raised a finger to stop me and said. "I want to help you, and I will." He sounded a little bit bossy now.

OK, mister 'I wanna help'. "And how do you pretend to help me, do you have a house here in the city?"

"Yes I do, in fact, but I think that it would be better if you just stayed in a hotel so you don't have to worry with cleaning and making your own food..."

"I can cook pretty well thank you very much." I interrupted.

"Because of your injured arm." He finished as if I had not said anything.

That was really nice of him but still have one little problem.

"What now?" He asked impatient.

"Well, you see.... I still have to go back to the house..." His face turned angry.

"No way you're going back there." He didn't even let me finish the sentence.

"I have to get my clothes and some of my stuff." He relaxed a little, and became thoughtful.

"OK but I am going with you, I am not going to let you go back in there alone." I didn't like the idea, the slum wasn't a place for someone like him...

"Well I am going any way." I rolled my eyes. He's was starting to get on my nerves, the bossy attitude was kind of rubbing off on me in the wrong way.

"Are you going to come back tomorrow then?" I asked.

"Yes. What time are they going to release you?" Hm... I can't remember....

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. " I will find that out for you." Then he left the room.

A couple minutes later he came back with a big smile. He has really white and sharp teeth.

"You can leave now if you want to." Well that was good.

* * *

After filling out some papers, we were out. He took me to his car, a Volvo C30. I didn't even now that we have this cars in here.

" If you want to see your car again..." He widened his eyes. "it would be better if you stop some streets before the slum." He did what I said. He must really like the car.

He walked as close as he could without touching me. My house wasn't very far from the entrance, but we saw a guy and some kids with guns right before my house.

Crap, it was Pedro and his little robots, I bet he wants to talk with me. Poor Edward, he must be scared now.

I looked up to Edward and he seemed to be angry and apprehensive.

" Hey, Julia." Pedro called and I turned my head to see him staring at Edward and running to meet me. " I'm so sorry for your lost, but _he _wants to see you, apologize for what happened." Oh crap, I really didn't wanted to see _him_.

_Him_, Johnny, his name was actually Joaquin but everybody call his Johnny. He was 'the boss'. My mom was very loved so he felt kind of obligated to came say something to me.

"Well you can tell him that I don't want to see him, this is all his fault." I said and started to walk again but he stopped grabbing my arm.

"He wants you now." Edward growled and I instantly saw fear on Pedro's face so I put my hand on Edward's arm so he could fall back.

"Pedro, I'll came back soon but now I just want to get some clothes and get out, its difficult enough to go in the house, the last thing a wanna do is hear some lame excuses for why my family was killed."

Pedro let it go and just let us through and we headed for the house.

Please review.......and thanks Clumsylittlegirl for being my beta =]


	4. I Can Do Bad All By Myself

As soon as I entered the house, I was in shock. They were not there, I mean the bodies, of course the cop would take care of that and I really need to go to the police office to identify them.

But the blood was still there. Sure. Nobody got in the house after that.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, just staring at the little house, lost in my own thoughts.

Edward just stayed there waiting for me to snap, to break in to tears, which I should but I couldn't find my tears. I walked through the little living room to the bedroom, I grabbed the only big handbag we had and started to stuff my clothes in.

I locked the door and we left.

We went to the city morgue to identify the bodies. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my whole life, to see them there, but I know she is in a better place now.

Edward took me to the hotel, guess which one, yes, the most expensive hotel in the city, Copacabana Palace. Five minutes with the check in lady and I was in, booked in a good room with my stuff in there.

"So, what are you going to do tomorrow?" Edward asked as I was having fun with the channels of the tv.

"I am going to talk to Laura, to see what she is going to do with me." I answered and yawned.

"OK, I am leaving, you are tired." he said ready to leave the room.

"Wait up." I yelled as he was leaving.

"Hm?"He came back.

"Can you give me a ride to the club tomorrow at 5?" I really hope so, it would be a long walk.

"Yeah, sure I will be here at 5." he said and left again.

Alone the pain was worse, like watching a horror movie and going to sleep alone in some room you don't know.

* * *

The morning finally came, I woke up at 8 a.m. and went down stairs to have some breakfast, wow, what a breakfast, so good, everything I could imagine.

Now was my chance to go see Jonny without Edward.

A couple buses and I was there, going up those streets I knew better then my own palm.

"Hey Julia!" Pedro called as he spotted me first.

"Hey Pedro, where is he ?" I asked.

"What you don't say hi anymore?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"Hi." I answered getting impatient. "Now where is he?"

"Hm...Up there." He pointed some stairs behind him.

"Thanks."

I climb the stairs and found him with two other guys and a girls snorting some cocaine.

"Well well, look who finally showed up." Jonny said rubbing his nose.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked now impatience.

"Hm...Yes I did, Guys, sweety." He said to his buddies and the girl, motioning them to leave.

"Ahhhhh, boss, already?" One of the guys complained.

"Get the fuck out of here, before I kill you." He said to the boy and the boy left glaring at me.

"How you doing Lily?" He said as they left. He was using my old nickname from when I was a kid.

He was one of my fathers friends, everybody knew my dad, he was so nice and everybody was sad when he passed.

He told my dad that he would take care of my mom and I. He did in the beginning. When I was raped, he hunted the guy down and killed him. But he was more worried about getting drugs and all that stuff.

"How do you think I am man? Not good." I told him.

"I am TRULLY sorry, I am." He said that with a face that told me that he was telling the truth but I couldn't help myself from being mean.

"Well you should, you broke your promise and now they are gone." I cried as the anger got bigger..

He hugged me, like my father used to do it, stroking my hair and pulling out of my face.

"I know, and there is nothing I can do to change that, I'm sorry."He let me cry for a few minutes.

As I was done, I made a rapid decision, I took the straw from the table and sniffed the line of cocaine from the board that was laying on.

Jonny looked at me as if I grown another head. "I didn't know that you liked that."

"There is a lot of stuff you don't know about me, I used to like it, I just stopped because of my baby." I said as sniffed another line. I had nothing else to loose anyway.

"Well, good to know." He called the boys up again and we stayed there for the rest of the day, just doing drugs and drinking. When 3:30 came a long, I decided to left. It took me an hour to get to the hotel, because I was to high and I kept missing the bus.

When I got into the room Edward was there, he looked like he was about to kill someone, probably me.

"You guessed right." He got up from the chair he was sitting. "I came earlier to see how you were and when I get here all I find is an empty room and people telling me that you left here and got a bus to somewhere." Wow, he was angry. "Where were you, you smell like drugs and alcohol."

I replayed the whole day in my head, and as I did, I saw so many emotions pass through his face so fast that I think I even lost some of them.

"What in the world is wrong with you, are you trying to kill yourself, after all you have been through, you are going to give up on yourself........why are you being so reckless and stupid?" He yelled at me.

He shouldn't yell with a high, drunk and angry girl, its like yelling at a pregnant woman full of hormones.

"What the hell, I didn't ask you for your sympathy,and you know what, someone told me once that pain is game we all gotta play. So why am I in overtime and sudden death every other day? I know that for the good of life there's a price we all gotta pay. But I'll pay till I'm poor and I still don't know what it is to have a good day. Since everybody knows what it is that I need to do. Well do me a favor, let me worry bout me and you worry bout you, 'cause I don't need no one to put me down, I'm on the ground can't get no lower. And I don't need no one to hang around an make me frown just makes me look older. And I don't need no one to black my eye an tell me lies. Don't wanna cry over nobody else, 'cause I can do bad all by myself." I said and passed out for the lack of breathing and drug abuse.


End file.
